Why Millennials Are Not Having Kids

According to data from the Urban Institute, birth rates among 20 and 30-something women declined 15% between 2007 and 2012. Additional research from the Pew Research Center showed the number of U.S. women forgoing motherhood has doubled since 1970.

There is a social stigma associated with this. Women who choose not to have kids have been referred to as “shallow” and “self-absorbed,” and even the pope has said the decision not to procreate is fundamentally “selfish.”

According to various surveys, here are some of the major reasons why millennials are not having kids:

1. Kids cost too much money if you have student loans.

Medical costs of giving birth or the lifetime financial commitment that having a child . Student loans were cited as a reason for not being able to afford kids, a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, if the total student debt of the Class of 2016 is any indication.

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2. Transmission of mental health disease.

Those who have struggled with various mental illnesses reported being particularly wary of bringing kids into the world, out of a fear that they would inherit the painful experiences they themselves went through.